Family Business
by writingcupcake
Summary: At just twenty, Elena Gilbert finds herself negotiating with one of the most powerful families in the world, the Salvatores. Used to being ignored, she's now navigating untread waters and squaring off with the most powerful in Mystic Falls. She finds herself caught between loyalties, not knowing who to trust as she tries to save her family and preserve her heart.(Delena AU/3rd POV)
1. Chapter 1

Prologue

Giuseppe Salvatore reached across the leather seats, took a crystal tumbler from the small cabinet built into the limo, and poured himself a glass of scotch. He sat back, unbuttoned his black Brunello Cucinelli custom suit jacket and crossed one of his legs. He looked over at his somber son sitting next to him and placed a comforting hand on his knee. "Did they post the scores of your final exams?"

Damon's irritated crystalline eyes pierced his father's. "I don't think now is a good time to talk about test scores."

Giuseppe pressed his lips together in a frown and looked contemplatively into his glass before bringing it to his lips. "You have a brilliant mind, Damon. Don't let something like this get in the way of your future."

Damon wanted to take the glass out of his father's hand and throw it against the wall. His father didn't understand that he had no one left. "Who the fuck cares that I'm Magna Cum Laude?"

Stefan, sitting on the other side of Damon, pauses to laugh and shake his head. "Damon said fuck."

"Stefan!" Giuseppe admonishes. "Now's not the time."

Stefan shakes his head, chuckling to himself before going back to his handheld video game. "Now you can _fucking_ finally kick Damon out of the house."

Damon stiffened. This is what he expected. The Salvatores didn't owe him anything and the only thing that prevented him from leaving before Giuseppe could kick him out is the fact that Giuseppe seems so invested in his future. More so since his mom died. If Damon put one toe out of line or didn't make a perfect score on his exams or didn't marry Elizabeth Tate, as his Giuseppe planned, he figured Giuseppe would have no excuse but to kick him out of the family.

Knowing exactly what Damon was thinking, Giuseppe poured another tumbler of scotch and handed it to him. "You're my son, just as much as Stefan," he said with such sincerity, Damon almost believed him. "You were just a boy, not much younger than Stefan when I married your mother. I loved your mom. Not just because she's the mother of _both_ of my sons, but because she brought light into my life. You are part of that light, Damon."

It was barely eleven o'clock in the morning, but Damon drank the tumbler of thousand dollar scotch. As CEO of Salvatore Investments, a trillion dollar company that's been around since the Rockefellers built New York, Giuseppe wasn't one to mince words. Rumors circulated that the reason a former employee of Salvatore Investments jumped off the Mystic Bridge was because Giuseppe insulted his marketing presentation, calling it juvenile and a waste of his and the company's time and resources. Giuseppe's comforting words to Damon sounded foreign coming from the business tycoon's lips. Even though Damon had never felt comfortable calling Giuseppe, Dad, this was the first time in his life he felt like he had one.

When the limo came to a stop both Giuseppe and Damon knocked back their glasses of amber liquid. Stefan's green eyes remained focused on his game. "It's time, sons."

Damon nodded, ready to walk to the gravesite where hundreds of his mother's friends and admirers were waiting to say goodbye, but before he could leave the limo, Stefan chucked the hand-held game across the limo. Splinters of plastic scattered over the leather seats. Damon stared at the dent the game left in the paneled wall. "I'm not fucking going," Stefan announced, folding his arms and making no attempt to leave.

At twelve, Stefan was stubborn but popular amongst his classmates at Mystic Falls Prep. With his forest-green eyes and square jaw, he looked every bit as much like his father, but he inherited Lily's magnetic personality. At that particular moment, a trait that belonged to neither his father or mother came out: spite.

Unbothered by his son's outburst, Giuseppe placed his tumbler back on the counter and buttoned his suit jacket before narrowing his eyes at his youngest son. "Stefan, you are going to get out of this limo and we're going to stand by your mother's grave as a family and say goodbye. Then we're going to accept condolences from all the people who attended. We're doing this as a family, do you understand?"

Stefan juts out his chin, but nods. Satisfied that Stefan adjusted his attitude, Giuseppe opened up the limo door. "Can I have a moment with Stefan?" Damon asked before getting out.

Giuseppe looks nervously at the waiting crowd before turning back toward Damon. "Just a minute."

Once the door closed, Damon moved in his seat so he can talk to his brother. Stefan's blue tie was loose and askew from playing video games in the limo practically upside down in his seat, and his hair was as wild as his attitude in the car. He leaned over and straightened Stefan's tie, knotting it while saying something that'd been on his mind since Lily's accident. Stefan attempted to push Damon away, but being twelve years older and more than a foot taller made Stefan's attempts to get away from his older brother laughable. "I know you're the one that found mom and I'm sure that was incredibly scary and traumatizing but you can't take your anger out on Giuseppe."

"He's not your dad," Stefan spits out. "Why do you care?"

Damon nods, finishing the Windsor knot before tightening it and straightening the white-collar of Stefan's shirt. "You're right, he's not, which means he needs you right now."

Understanding registered in Stefan's eyes. He buttoned his jacket and ran a hand through his hair, attempting to comb it with his fingers into a part. "Fine," he muttered.

Seeing his brother hurriedly fix his clothing in the back of the limo, Damon opened his mouth to say something, but thought better of it, opened the car door, and got out to stand beside Giuseppe. Once Stefan was out of the car, the three Salvatores walked together toward the crowd of people in black sitting on white plastic chairs.

The weather didn't match Damon's mood. It had been raining for weeks, but today was the first sunny day, marking the end of spring and the start of summer. God had a cruel sense of humor. Those who have gathered for the service are wearing sunglasses and fanning themselves with the memorial program. Birds chirped while the pastor made cliched remarks about death. Damon wished he could leave. He'd rather be in the Harvard library, getting a head start on the required reading for the MBA program he'd be starting in the fall. He gazed out at the crowd of people in attendance. The Salvatores put on great parties and based on the attendees' attire, they thought a funeral was an extension of that.

After words were spoken by those who loved Lily, Damon and Stefan stand up and make their way toward the grave. Tears streamed down Stefan's cheeks as he gathered dirt in his shaky hand and tossed it on the mahogany casket. Damon didn't think about how his life was going to change after that day. He didn't think about how he'd lost the woman who came to every cross country and track meet. The woman who spent hours in that dingy studio apartment, the first place Damon remembered living, patiently teaching him how to play the piano she learned on. Damon was going to put the gut-wrenching pain out of his mind because if he spent one moment thinking about it, he wasn't sure he'd ever recover. With a steady hand, he took a handful of dirt and dropped it on Lily Salvatore's coffin.


	2. Chapter 2

Message from the author: Hello! I started writing this fic back in November as a way to stop obsessing over the book series I ended up hating. (I'll post the title of the fic when the story is complete, but if you'd like to know, Dm me) This is my therapeutic rewrite of that series. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did writing it.

Chapter 1 (Fourteen Years Later)

The Salvatore estate may lay on the outskirts of Mystic Falls, but that was only because of the size. Unlike other homes in the area, the Salvatores never sold a piece of land here or a piece there to be built upon. It may have undergone several renovations and additions, but the estate always remained in the family and intact. The Salvatore family has owned the 140,000 acres since the family emigrated from Italy in the late nineteenth century. The property included a vast garden maze, stables, guest houses, and three pools: one indoor Olympic size pool for exercise, one for parties or when company is over, and one just outside the master suite.

Trees wrapped in thousands of white lights illuminated the vast circular drive as the black Towncar waited in a long line of guests being dropped off. Elena Gilbert fidgeted with the hem of her dress. It was too short and had too much back showing, but Jenna told her she had to look the part tonight so she acquiesced. Jenna was going to her future husband's graduation party. Stefan may not have proposed, but they'd been matched at the tender age of four. No one in Mystic Falls talks about it, but if you have the right family name and your income is in the right tax bracket, you're going to marry who your parents tell you you're going to marry. Marriage is a business transaction- as it has been for hundreds of generations. However, in the case of the Salvatores, Lily Salvatore had an extremely close relationship with Miranda Gilbert and she always wanted her son to marry a Gilbert. Ten years after she died, Giuseppe passed and everyone assumed the arrangement was null and void, but Damon Salvatore insisted on holding to the arrangement. Now that Jenna had a year left at Archer University, one of the most prestigious and the hardest all-girls colleges to get into, and Stefan earned his MBA from Harvard, the engagement was expected to be announced within a couple of years, once all the details were knocked out between Mr. Salvatore and Miranda and Grayson Gilbert.

"Stop fidgeting," Jenna admonished. She pulled out a tube of deep red lipstick and handed it to her sister. "Dr. Pepper lip balm doesn't count as lipstick, Elena."

Elena rolled her eyes but took the lipstick out of Jenna's hands without complaint. She applied the lipstick while Jenna straightened her coral viscose gown, making sure it didn't wrinkle. The pale pink hue of the Grecian inspired dress made her charcoal lined aqua eyes pop. She looked every bit the future Salvatore she was meant to be. Everyone knew that Jenna was technically Elena's aunt and technically Miranda's sister, but after Miranda's mother and father died in a horrific car accident when Jenna was just a baby, she and Grayson adopted her and raised her as their own.

Just a few years older than Elena, Jenna was the popular one, the social one, the one everyone loved. Jenna had golden-brown hair, pouty lips, and long legs. She was the perfect combination of gracious, kind, and funny. Elena preferred to stay out of everyone's way. She constantly had a book or a journal in hand and planned on finding a spot to hide the moment Jenna gave her the signal that she was relieved of her social duties.

Elena struggled to fit the small paperback in her purse. The binding was held together by copious amounts of scotch tape and the book was covered in highlighter and notations written in Elena's tidy scrawl. She had a hardback version of the book in her bedroom, but this was the copy she took places. The book contained sick and twisted Greek mythology that she loved to read over and over again. Sometimes she felt a little sick and twisted and liked turning those who doubted her or thought they were better than her to stone. Her evergreen sequined dress perfectly matched her faded green hair that she dyed on a whim. Her mother hated the ombre look, but her father thought it suited her personality. Tonight, it was curled and parted, held back with four silver bobby-pins. She looked like a modern Vargas girl and she hated it. Elena wasn't against makeup or clothes, it was the party she was loathing. It was pretending to be interested in the people that ignored her throughout her time at Mystic Falls Prep. Jenna was her best friend, and that was all she really needed at this point in her life. Once Jenna and Stefan started popping out babies, she knew she'd have to be more social, but she had at least a few years before that happened.

Jenna caught Elena attempting to fold the book into her clutch. "You _are_ going to try to have fun tonight, aren't you?"

"I'll make the rounds to appease mom." She squealed when the clutch finally clasped shut. "Just text me when you're ready to go."

The Towncar pulled up in front of the entrance. Two men carrying umbrellas opened the car door. Elena thought the umbrellas were a bit ridiculous. It was barely sprinkling, but it wouldn't be a Salvatore party without the Salvatores thinking of every detail. She took the hand of one of the servants and the Gilbert girls were led up to the entrance like a pair of prized thoroughbreds. A severe looking woman with a short bob met them at the entrance. "Name?"

Jenna spoke to the woman who, through an earpiece, told someone else to announce the Gilbert girls. Jenna squeezed Elena's hand before letting go as they made their way to the party.

This wasn't a typical college graduation party. There were no balloons and nothing was served out of red Solo cups. Champagne was offered out of crystal flutes when Jenna and Elena walked through the entryway. "I'd better find Stefan," she muttered before leaving Elena standing before the crowd of people.

Even though many in attendance were under the age of twenty-one, there were several open bars throughout the rooms. Caterers floated through the party carrying trays of caviar and other appetizers Elena had no desire to consume. She'd have to beg Jenna to stop by a drive-through on the way home.

"Elena!" Shelby Whitmore exclaimed, hugging her. The girl was clearly drunk; her hug was a tad too friendly.

"Shelby," Elena blurted, carefully breaking the hug by dropping her arms and taking a step back. "How are you?"

Shelby had ignored Elena throughout high school. All it took was one comment from Stefan Salvatore about her and Elena became a social leper. It all happened when Elena was a sophomore at Mystic Falls Prep. She'd begged Jenna to let her tag along to a concert- her favorite indie group happened to be playing. Even though Jenna was a senior, she was happy to let Elena tag along. Stefan Salvatore was there with a bunch of his friends from Harvard during a school break. Elena danced during the concert and had her first real mixed drink.

Jackson Talbert, a junior at MFP, started talking to her about music. Being a musician, he said he knew the band and could get her backstage. Her excited reaction made Jackson chuckle. Elena liked his dimples and his long brown hair which he kept taming with his fingers. For the first time, she felt like she might actually belong. When Jackson went to the bar to get another drink, she heard Stefan talking loudly to Shelby and a few of their friends. "This concert was cool until I saw a nobody like Elena Gilbert. I'm going to the W if anyone wants to join me."

Before Stefan left, he turned toward her. She saw him. He saw her. He knew she heard and instead of apologizing, smirked. Elena was worthless and he was the prince of Mystic Falls. He said that she was a nobody and all of his little subjects listened. Stefan left taking the infinitesimal amount of social status she had and everyone from Mystic Falls Prep with him. She didn't see Jackson again that night and he avoided her in the halls, much like everyone else. Jenna stayed with Elena and they had fun the rest of the evening, but in her heart, she knew Jenna wanted to go to the W with everyone else. Because of that one comment, and Shelby who happily spread what Stefan Salvatore had said, Elena's social life then revolved around Poseidon, Hades, Zeus, Helena, and the other Gods, Goddesses, and mortals in her books. She didn't mind, but she would've liked to at least have one romantic encounter.

"I'm getting ready to go on a semester abroad to France," Shelby said, drawing Elena's attention back to their one-sided conversation. Elena smiled and nodded, which prompted Shelby to go on and on about a boy she was hoping to hook up with while in the south of France. A friend of Shelby's joined the conversation making it easier for Elena to slip away. She found Jenna, who gave her the nod that she could find a place to read.

Elena walked up the staircase nearest the kitchen and found a long hallway. She made a random guess and opened one door. A girl with white-blonde hair straddled someone in tuxedo pants. From the angle Elena was looking, the tuxedo pants were unzipped and the skirts of her dress were gathered around her hips. Elena couldn't look away as the girl writhed on top of the boy. There was something familiar about him and before she could be caught and accused of being a voyeur, she took a step in the room. He pressed his mouth to the girls neck, sucked on it like he was drawing blood, looked up at Elena. She saw him. He saw her and he winked. The boy wasn't a boy but a man, with startling green eyes thick short hair. Stefan Salvatore. Elena sucked in a breath and almost tripped running out of the room.

Elena wondered if Jenna had found Stefan, to say what, she didn't know. Congratulations? Feel free to screw anyone and everyone until the engagement that everyone knows about is announced? Jenna's love life had always been a disaster and a very small part of Elena had always thought that having to marry Stefan was for the best. Jenna was more likely to end up eloping with the leader of a motorcycle gang than finding someone remotely stable. However, if she was happy and in love…

Elena found the door she was looking for and pushed. Inside was something out of a book. A vast library full, from ceiling to ground, with rows and rows of books. She gasped and clutched her chest, there were stairs that led to more books, with several nooks and comfy leather armchairs perfect for reading. Elena walked over to a comfy looking leather armchair, kicked off her heels, and sat in the chair, tucking her legs underneath her. This was officially the perfect hiding place from the noise below her.

For close to an hour she sat comfortably reading from her worn book. Tears ran down her cheeks as she read about Demeter, Persephone's mother who was responsible for all growth on earth. When Persephone was in the underworld, Demeter was so sad she didn't let anything grow. To feel that level of pain over the loss of a child- she couldn't imagine.

"Crying at my party?" Stefan stood in the doorway, casting a long look at Elena. He took in the way she looked, her hair a mess from leaning against the leather cushions while reading. Curls of green tendrils fell on her tear-stained face.

Elena didn't look at him, she knew who it was and kept her eyes downcast on her book. She cleared her throat. "It's your party, aren't you supposed to be entertaining your guests?"

"I'd much rather entertain one guest."

"You already did and by the way she was writhing on top of you, she was thoroughly entertained," Elena muttered, still refusing to look.

Stefan huffed indignantly. "You're at my graduation party, aren't you even going to congratulate me?"

Elena finally decided to look up at the Harvard graduate. He looked good in the custom made black tuxedo. By the way his arms bulged in all the right places, his years of being on the Harvard crew team paid off, but she wasn't going to allow herself to be like every other girl enamored with Stefan Salvatore. "I'm a nobody," she replied simply, echoing the words he spoke so many years ago. "Why would you care for my congratulations?"

"Because you're the only interesting person in this town."

Elena rested the book she was reading in her lap, taken aback by his comment. "I'm not."

"You're green hair says otherwise."

She self-consciously touched a lock of her hair, looking at the curled sea-green ends. "My mom hates it," she muttered.

Stefan raised his eyebrows and seeing that it was safe, he moved toward where she was sitting. "Like I said, interesting. And you're honest, which is especially refreshing."  
She wasn't sure if she believed him because Stefan was known to be charming and charming people tended to be liars. "Why is honesty refreshing for you, Stefan?"

"Let me show you."

Curious, Elena allowed him to wrap his warm hand around hers and tug her out of the leather chair. Barefoot, he guided Elena across the room, around a mahogany bookcase, to an alcove in the corner that she wouldn't have seen unless she explored for another half hour or so. A half-mooned window was stained glass art of intricate roses in shades of red, pink, and yellow. It was quite beautiful. Beneath the window was a small love seat. Unlike all of the other pieces of furniture, this one wasn't made of chocolate brown leather. It was deep, worn and the shade of evergreen with small embroidered pink and red roses all over it in intricate patterns connected by a vine of thorns. Pillows shades of yellow and cream adorned the sofa. The couch didn't belong in the room and it certainly didn't belong in a mansion on an estate with a separate twelve car garage.

Elena ran her fingers along the embroidery. Stefan moved to stand behind her so he could point out the window. "If you go into the center of the maze, there's a rose garden. My mom loved roses, so my dad had it built- after she died, he became obsessed and kept adding and adding, building a maze around her garden."

Elena twisted her head so she could meet his eyes. "I'm sorry you lost your mom. I was at the funeral, but I don't remember much. I remember your mom though, she was always so lovely to me."

Elena didn't remember much about Lily, but she always offered lemon drops from her purse for Elena to suck on. She remembered going to the Salvatore estate for tea, something her own mother spent hours primping for- making sure there wasn't a curl out of place on the six-year-old's head. Miranda admonished Elena for taking a second cupcake, but when her mom wasn't looking, Lily slipped Elena a handful of lemon drops to stick in the pocket of her pink dress. "Always have something sweet on hand in case the world makes you sad," she whispered into her ear.

Stefan smiled at Elena sadly. "Damon didn't want to go. I remember sitting in the limo for at least twenty minutes trying to explain that he'd regret not attending her funeral."

That didn't surprise her. Damon was known to be abrupt and closed off. On the few occasions she'd interacted with him, he thought she was the help and one of these interactions happened when she was just twelve years old. Although, the Gryffindor robes she used to wear everywhere could've thrown him off. Almost everyone was scared of him, something she was sure Damon enjoyed.

Damon ran an empire while Stefan helped run his mother's charity and rode crew in his spare time. Unlike Damon, Stefan wore his emotions on his sleeve and his pain was tangible. "You had to have been only twelve."

Stefan casually ran a knuckle down her bare arm. "Crushed petals fall like tears into soft white snow, to sink into the depths wherein the spring it will grow."

Stefan's eyes lingered on her plump lips and Elena couldn't help but twist around and draw near him. "That's beautiful."

He towered before her and tucked the loose lock of green hair behind her ear. "It's from a poem I read at the funeral," he leaned closer, and used his right hand to cup her cheek. His voice came out in a soft whisper. "My mom wrote it right here, in this very spot. I come here when I miss her, which is all the time."

Lily was kind and good- she spent her life helping those in need. Her massive organization funded projects and smaller organizations that opened schools in third world countries and free medical clinics throughout the states. But she didn't just fund projects, she actually worked with the organizations- often requiring her to travel to unsafe countries.

Showing her this spot, a spot where he could come and mourn the mother he lost when he was so young felt special. Like Elena discovered a piece of Stefan no one else had. Salty tears fell down her cheeks as she pictured a young Stefan, hidden away in the library while his dad went mad. Stefan, sitting on his mother's couch just to be close to her.

Leaning close to her, Stefan gently wiped her tears away with his thumb. "We can't," she said, her voice breaking. "You're to marry my sister."

"No one tells me what to do, Elena," he stated before capturing her lips with his. He kissed her deeply, running his hand down her side, skimming her ass before cupping the back of her knee and dragging her closer to him. He groaned into her lips and moved her to the couch so he could explore. He positioned Elena against the cushions and kissed down the length of her neck.

"Stefan…" Elena moaned, feeling needy and wanton. She rubbed herself up against his pant leg, looking for friction as he pulled the strap of her dress down. She kissed the back of his ear before taking the lobe in her mouth and tugging it between her teeth. "More," she groaned into his ear. "I need more."

He answered her pleas by kissing her brutally. She opened herself up to him, not just physically, but emotionally. She'd watched him at events they both had to go to, she'd seen the way he was with other girls, but this felt different. Leaning on top of her, he broke the kiss. "Wait for me," he asked, searching her eyes. "Wait for me, just for a year."

Wait for him? Wait for what? "Please," he added. "Just a year."

She sat up, moving him off of her. "Why?"

"Because I'm asking."

Elena straightened the strap of her dress. "No."

Placing one hand on each shoulder, Stefan pushed her back on the couch and climbed on top of her. "You'll wait," he ordered, pressing his lips against her stubborn ones until she acquiesced and opened for him. This kiss was different from the earlier kiss, this was full of desperation and need.

His hands found the hem of her dress and snaked beneath it. He wasn't gentle but determined to prove something. "You'll wait," he repeated, his hands leaving a trail up her thigh to the lace of her panties. "Say it."

"Stefan," she moaned into his mouth.

His fingers dipped beneath the lace. "Say it, Elena."

"Oh my, God," her head tilted back as Stefan touched her. She needed something she couldn't define. She needed pressure and if he didn't give it to her, she'd take care of it herself. "I need…"

He gently kissed her jaw. "I know, angel."

If his fingers explored anymore, he was bound to discover something she'd rather not admit, but she didn't think she had it in her to stop him. "Please," she cried, wrapping her arm around his neck in an attempt to pull him closer.

"You know what to say," he replied, teasing her before his index finger entered her.

She gasped in pain while he growled. "Are you?"

Biting her lip she nodded. He kissed her while his finger pumped in and out of her and his thumb played with her clit. "You're perfect," he said, kissing her lips.

Elena's body, flushed with heat, felt the tension that had been building explode. Stefan captured her lips with his. When she came down, he laid her on the couch and gently moved her dress so it covered the top of her thighs. He straightened his jacket and adjusted himself. "Do you need me to?" She asked, indicating the bulge in his slacks.

Stefan kissed her on the nose sweetly. "One year," he repeated, before turning around and leaving the library.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 2 (One year later)

Jenna waved Elena off. "I'll be fine," she argued after Elena sent Guy and Aubrey, their hair and makeup team, away because Jenna turned a nasty shade of puce.

Elena took in Jenna's flushed and sweaty appearance. "There's still puke in your hair, you can't go."

"When Damon Salvatore schedules a lunch meeting, you go," she replied, drinking the ginger ale Elena brought to her room.  
"You're sick! Surely, he'll understand."

"Illness is a sign of weakness," Jenna replied. "And I really don't want to piss off my future brother-in-law."

Elena sat on Jenna's bed and bit her lip. She remembered the incident in the library only too well but hadn't spoken to Stefan since. When Jenna went on a date with him a couple of months ago, Elena knew she'd been a fool to think more transpired between them than a heavy make-out session. "Stefan hasn't proposed yet. Can't this meeting happen after the engagement is announced?"

Before Jenna could answer, Miranda entered the bedroom wearing Chanel and a wild frantic look. She must've seen Guy and Aubrey aimlessly roaming the halls. "Why aren't you ready yet?"

Miranda dragged Elena and Jenna shopping the day before, insisting Jenna needed a new wardrobe for the next phase in her life as the fiancé of the prince of Mystic Falls. Elena was there for moral support, even though Miranda did her best to get Elena into DVF's latest collection and to dye her hair back to its original dark brown locks. Elena couldn't rationalize spending a couple of grand on jeans when she had more than a few perfectly good pairs at home.

While they were out shopping, the already sparkling clean house was being cleaned from top to bottom to meet the obsessive Damon Salvatore's standards. A lunch menu was approved by Mr. Salvatore's assistant, along with a wine pairing from his own vineyards in Napa.

With the help of Guy and Aubrey, Jenna dressed in a lavender silk dress with an A-line silhouette and a tiered skirt that fell mid-length, paired with black strappy block heels. With her hair professionally blown out and makeup done, she looked every bit the part of the future Mrs. Salvatore. However, the bloodshot eyes and heavy under-eye canceler couldn't hide the fact that she spent the last two hours throwing up.

Elena didn't have to go to the lunch, but before she walked downstairs to meet Damon, Jenna grabbed her sister's hand and squeezed. She looked around to make sure no one could hear them and said in a desperate whisper. "I can't do this, Elena."

"I'll watch from the staircase and if it gets bad, just give me the signal and I'll run down in a panic yelling about the stock market crashing. It's 1929 all over again! They're calling today Black Monday! Men jumping from skyscrapers! Wall Street is going crazy!" Jenna relaxed, giggling at Elena's impressions. "I took a few acting classes in high school, I can be convincing."

Jenna nodded. "Okay."

After Jenna left, Elena snuck out and slipped past one of the staff to her spot. Her spot was where she did all her spying whenever her parents had dinners or parties. She could see Damon stride in with his wife, Elizabeth, who looked elegant as ever in cream slacks and a matching double-breasted jacket. Strands of pearls adorned her neck and even though she looked like the perfect wife, she wasn't holding Damon's hand. They looked more like strangers walking on a sidewalk than man and wife. Stefan followed, wearing a three-piece navy suit. The deep green in his tie matched his forest green eyes. Elena felt a pang of jealousy when he kissed Jenna on the cheek and complimented her outfit.

Jenna moved to shake Damon's hand and then proceeded to throw up all over his Italian shoes. Everyone stood back in horror, unsure what Damon would do. Elena's hand shot to her mouth to cover her laughter. Damon rolled his eyes, unbothered. "She's pregnant," he stated.

Elena dropped her hand, her laughter immediately stopped. She wasn't watching Damon or Stefan, but Jenna. Elena knew Jenna and by the way, her eyes were downcast, she knew Damon Salvatore was as perceptive as was rumored. Jenna, pregnant? She'd always had the worst taste in men and when it came down to it, wasn't too surprised. Miranda cried in shock and Grayson looked as ill as Jenna. Her marriage to Stefan didn't just solidify a family partnership twenty years in the making, it was a power move. If Jenna was pregnant, it meant there was no way Damon would allow her to marry Stefan. Taint the Salvatore name with a baby out of wedlock that wasn't a Salvatore? No fucking way.

One of the house staff brought a hot washcloth so Damon could clean his hands. "Bring me the other one," Damon ordered before handing the cloth back to the servant and walking down the opposite hall toward the restrooms.

The other one? Her? Miranda tugged Jenna toward the staircase. Elena got up from her hiding place and ran to her room. She tried to act casual, sitting on her bed with one of the books from her nightstand. Her mother walked into her room and ignoring her, went straight to her closet. "Where's the little Carolina Herrera number I bought you last month?"

Elena got up from her bed. "Mom, what's going on?"

Miranda's hands shook as she held the black dress in her hands. "You need to get ready, Mr. Salvatore wants to meet with you."

"Jenna's pregnant, isn't she?" Elena asked, not moving from her position on the bed. She knew exactly what this meant. "I'm not going! We don't have to do what he says just because he's Damon Salvatore. I don't want to marry Stefan."

Miranda tossed her the dress. "You _have_ to marry him."

"Why?"

Her mother sat next to her on the bed. "Oh, Elena," she said, her eyes watering. "You're father and I are in trouble."

Elena moved the dress to the side. She wasn't going to meet Damon like some prized horse, she'd wear her yoga pants and sweatshirt, she didn't care. She wasn't marrying Stefan just because his mom wanted the Gilberts and Salvatores to join. Nope. Not going to happen. "What kind of trouble?"

"He made some bad investments," she replied. "We started borrowing money from the bank against our mortgage and now Salvatore Investments own our home- bought it to help with debt."

She hoped the marriage would help. If her father joined the board, he'd be making more money and have more contacts. He'd be back on his feet, hoping Damon Salvatore would help along the way to save his family name the embarrassment. She couldn't understand why Damon would care. His dad and mom had passed. His mother was the one that wanted Stefan to marry a Gilbert- why does he care? Unless it's the family name he's after. The Gilberts founded Mystic Falls and names, especially old names, held a lot of weight around here.

"Fine," she replied, getting up. "I'll meet him."

Wearing yoga pants and a gray and purple razorback tank, Elena left her bedroom to go downstairs. Her mother cried after her, "You can't wear that! Did you even shower today?"

Elena didn't care. If it was a name he was after, he was going to get a name- but not her. Using a tie from around her wrist, she pulled her hair into a topknot while walking downstairs. Damon, Stefan, and Elizabeth were seated at the dining room table. Her father was trying to engage Damon in conversation, who looked bored while typing on his phone.

"You rang?" Elena said by way of greeting, she didn't look at Stefan- her eyes were on the man who was pulling the strings.

"Elena!" Her father admonished.

"Elena!" Her mother yelled from behind her.

Damon put his phone on the table and cast a glance at Elena. "I'm training to break out of Azkaban?" He read off her tank.

"I wore it just for you," she replied. She didn't, it just happened to be what she put on this morning when she thought she'd be lounging around the house all day. "You're trying to suck all the happiness out of our lives."

Damon unbuttoned the top button in his charcoal grey suit and shifted in his chair so he could better see Elena. "Are you calling me a dementor?"

Elena's eyes rose, mildly surprised he understood the Harry Potter reference but didn't care. "Maybe."

Miranda walked forward, blocking Elena from Damon's eyesight. "Damon, we're so sorry. This all has come as such a shock. Why don't we reschedule this lunch for another time?"

"No, I want to get this over with," he said to Miranda. "Let's get down to business." He motioned for Elena to take a seat, as though she were in his home and not the other way around. Elena complied, only because when it came down to it she knew she'd have to marry Stefan to save her family.

Miranda took a seat beside Elena, across from Damon. It felt like they were in a boardroom, not their dining room. Damon was ruthlessly handsome with dark hair and cool blue eyes. He didn't look thirty-eight but he acted much older and seasoned. "Stefan will be joining the board of directors," Damon said.

Holy shit. It was a simple statement but a bold one to make when Grayson had been vying for a spot on the board for the last decade. Elena looked at her father. Splotches of red peaked out of his dress shirt. He's been working for Salvatore Investments since before Stefan was born, the next spot was supposed to go to him, not a twenty-six-year-old. Elena cast a wary gaze at Stefan, who was staring straight ahead, devoid of emotion.

"Congratulations," Miranda said to Stefan, who nodded politely but still refused to look at Elena.

Grayson finally swallowed his pride and offered his congratulations.

Damon continued speaking. "This is a huge honor and there's a tradition that goes along with it dating back to when the board started."

No one had joined the board in over a decade, but Elena knew that it was an initiation of sorts, a ceremony that no one talks about but is somewhat like a rite of passage with a massive party after to celebrate. Like the board was some exclusive society with rituals, blood oaths, and secret handshakes- the whole thing was absurd. "Even though Jenna was the ideal match since she's out of the question, Elena will join Stefan and once he takes his seat on the board, the engagement will be announced. Elizabeth will take care of all the arrangements."

Here Damon was, in her home acting as though he had complete control over the situation. Stefan hadn't looked at her since he walked in and her parents were cowering in fear of losing everything. But Damon didn't have control over the whole situation. He thought he did, but he didn't. "No," Elena stated.

"No?" He repeated back, incredulously.

She shook her head from side to side. "No."

His blue eyes regarded her differently since he'd walked in. "Everyone leave," he commanded. "I want to discuss this with Ms. Gilbert alone."

For the first time since he walked in, Stefan showed emotion. "Why? This is my engagement, I should be here."

Elena's head tilted to the side. This new development threw Stefan off. Well, good. "I agree with Mr. Salvatore," she replied. "This is a business transaction, so it's only fair that I speak with the boss."  
Stefan's ears reddened, but instead of arguing, he stood up and buttoned his suit jacket.

"I'll check on Jenna," her mother said, leaving in a hurry. This lunch was not following anyone's plans.

Taking her cue, Grayson decided to speak up. "Stefan, why don't I show you the sitting room. I have a nice brandy that you should try."

Once they'd left, she and Damon sat across the dining room table from each other. Elena took a sip of water, clasped her hands together, and placed them in front of her. Her hair may be falling out of its bun, but she wasn't going to cower under Damon Salvatore, king of the world, magician extraordinaire.

"No?" Damon repeated.

"I want ten million dollars," she stated. "As I said, this is a business transaction and currently, I'm not getting anything in return for my devotion to your family."

Damon scoffed, sitting back. "I assume your mother explained the financial situation your family is in."

Elena nodded.

"I'll give your family back their house. Considering I was the one who got the banks off of your father's back, you should be grateful," he replied.

"You agreed to that when Jenna was to marry Stefan, not me. I'm twenty years old and have a lot to lose by joining your family. You're buying my dignity and that's worth a hell of a lot more to me than this house," Elena replied.

Damon was looking at her in a new light; he couldn't help but smirk as though this was a new game he was happy to dominate. "Okay, Ms. Gilbert," he said, sitting forward in his chair. "One million for your dignity and I'll throw in another five-hundred thousand for having to deal with Stefan. He's been grumpy lately."

Elena struggled to hold back a laugh but remained calm. Damon may be giving them their home but Elena didn't know how much debt her parents were in. After the endless shopping spree yesterday, and the annual trip to Aspen her mom planned on going on with her girlfriends next month, she knew her parent's spending was out of control. "Nine-million, and I'll knock off another five-hundred thousand for having to deal with me. I've been grumpy lately."

"Three-million and you'll do everything that's required of you without argument," he countered.

"Seven-million and I'll do everything that's required of me with argument."

"Five-million and you'll do everything that's required of you, meaning Elizabeth will take over your styling and social media. You are to promote the Salvatore name. Elizabeth will coach you on what to say and how to act," Damon says. "That's my final offer."

It was better than she hoped. She would've accepted the million and a half, but wanted to see how far she could push Damon. "What if the board doesn't approve of me?"

Damon smirked and gave her eyes she was sure he used to seduce billionaires into letting him invest their money. "I'll have the money wired into your bank account tonight on good faith that they do accept you."

"Fine," she replied.

Damon nodded and stood up. "Out of curiosity, what are you studying at Archer?"

"Economics," she replied.

"Just a tip," he said, standing and buttoning his jacket. "When negotiating, never be the first to offer a number."

"I'll remember that for next time," Elena stood up as well. "I'll get my parents. I'm assuming you're not staying for lunch."

"This has already taken longer than anticipated," he replied.

Still barefoot, Elena padded off toward the sitting room when she felt a tug on her arm and before she knew it, she was being dragged into a guest room. Stefan propped her against the wall and kissed her lips. "I'm so sorry," he said. "You don't have to do this. I don't need to be on the board- it's not worth it anymore."

Elena pushed him off of her. "You don't get to kiss me."

Stefan wiped his mouth, a look of frustration crossed his face. "We're to be married."

She folded her arms and shook her head. "It doesn't give you the right. A marriage certificate is just that, a piece of paper. It's nothing without trust and communication, neither of which we have. You can't just kiss me after not speaking to me for a year and expect me to be forgiving."

Stefan placed a palm against the wall above her head, effectively caging her in. "What did he say to you?"

His anger caught her off guard. Was he angry that he was kicked out of her meeting with Damon? "We had a moment in that library," she reminded him. "It was real- our moment was real and you told me to wait a year. You never explained why, so don't expect things you yourself can't deliver."

He dropped his hand from the wall and ran his fingers through his short brown hair. "I know! I'm sorry. I was going insane worrying about how he was manipulating you."

"Manipulate me?"

"That's what he does, he manipulates those around him and bends them to his will," Stefan explained.

Elena didn't feel manipulated by Damon. If anything, she felt like he respected her. "You told me to wait a year, it's been a year. Did you know this would happen?"

Stefan leaned over and kissed her lips tenderly, she couldn't help but melt into his embrace, no matter how mad she was. "No, but I hoped. Jenna and I didn't have a connection, it wasn't like it was with you and me."

Her hands looped around his neck and she pulled him to her so she could kiss him again. She knew she wasn't imagining their connection. "Did you wait?" He asked tentatively.

"I want to lie and tell you no because the alternative is so pathetic, but nothing really came up. Nobody held my interest," she explained. Stefan beamed at her and he pulled her in for another chaste kiss.

"Listen," he said, guiding her to sit on the bed. "I have a plan, but I can't tell you about it. Just know that I have to be a different person in front of Damon. If he knows I care for you, he'll take advantage and destroy what we have."

Elena's eyebrows knit together. "You have a plan?"

"I don't want to tell you more until I know for sure, but know that as much as I care for you, I need to be on the board of Salvatore Investments."

"You have a plan," she affirmed.

He kissed her again on the lips but leaned closer, drawing her in. He broke the kiss. "I have a plan."

She nodded her head up and down. "Okay, you have a plan that you're not going to tell me anything about."

He groaned, his jacket started buzzing. "I have to go." Stefan took her phone from the side pocket in her leggings and entered in his number. "I'll text you." He kissed her on the forehead before leaving the guest room.

Elena stayed in the guest room for close to an hour, trying to decide what to say to her parents. She'd always felt like home was a safe place, where she could relax and read, but at the moment, she wanted to be anywhere but in the mansion.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 3

"Your hair is back," Jenna commented while leaning back on Elena's bed. Elena jokingly twirled her long chestnut locks around her finger while sticking her tongue out at her best friend.

Jenna tossed a pillow at Elena, laughing. After a very emotional doctor's visit, one where Miranda clutched a handkerchief and sobbed, the doctor confirmed that Jenna was indeed pregnant.

Jenna took a bite out of a gingersnap while Elena hung up the new clothes Elizabeth picked out for her. Elena hated the new clothes but Elizabeth threatened to go into her closet and throw everything away if she didn't see Elena in the outfits she picked out for her. She looked at her watch and cursed to herself. "I have to take a picture for Instagram."

After getting her hair trimmed and colored, Elizabeth took Elena to lunch so she could criticize Elena's lack of social media presence. As Stefan Salvatore's future bride, Elena now represented the Salvatore family and empire. Elizabeth looked at her Instagram and to say she was unhappy would be an understatement. She spent an hour explaining Instagram to Elena, reviewing what she should post and shouldn't post and ordered her to post at least twice a day. Elena kept on forgetting, which meant receiving several very angry text messages from Elizabeth telling her that if she couldn't remember to post, Elizabeth would hire someone to take over her account.

According to Elizabeth, Elena's pictures of unique lattes and Greek mythology artwork wasn't "on brand" with the Salvatore name. Since meeting with Elizabeth, Elena posted an artful selfie of herself in new Gucci sunglasses at an outdoor lunch and a picture of studying in the library on campus wearing clothes she'd never wear studying: wool slacks and a sleeveless black blouse. It was all so fake, the whole thing made her want to vomit.

What was worse were the comments. Girls who openly made fun of Elena in high school now commented on how chic she looked and since the tutorial at lunch, not only had her followers increased a thousandfold, she now had a certified account thanks to Elizabeth's connections.

"I'll take the picture," Jenna offered. Elena tossed her her phone. "Unroll your yoga mat and do a pose."

Elena was currently wearing a rose-colored stretchy top that wrapped around her waist and high-waisted leggings. She was about to go to a yoga class in an attempt to find her center- something she'd lost since meeting with Damon Salvatore. She rolled her eyes, but unrolled her yoga mat and did the lotus position. "No!" Jenna cried, laughing. "Do that complicated pose no one else in their right mind can do."

Elena put her hands on her head. A picture of her doing that on the internet? For people to comment on? "Seriously, Jenna?"

"It will make Stefan lose his shit," Jenna replied. "I don't know if anyone's told you, but being flexible is a good thing, Elena."

Elena retied the strap of her shirt and tugged on her sports bra. She stood in position before Jenna yelled, "Wait!"

Elena turned to her, annoyed. "What?"

"I need to braid your hair. If it's down, it'll look like a mess in the picture and we won't be able to see your face. Your usual topknot will look sloppy." Jenna got up to grab a brush from Elena's vanity and a couple of hair ties. "Come on, you know I can do this quickly. I'm a pro."

Elena moved to sit on the bed while Jenna sat behind her and parted her hair with her fingers. "How are you feeling?" Elena asked Jenna.

Jenna heaved out a sigh. "Honestly?" Her fingers twined in Elena's hair. "Guilty because I'm relieved, horrible because you're taking on that burden, and anxious because I don't know if I want this baby."

"Did you talk to the father?" Elena asked. Jenna hadn't yet fessed up about who the father was, but Elena knew she was in contact with him.

"The sperm donor offered to pay for an abortion; he didn't even consider that I might want to keep it," she replied.

"You're thinking of keeping it?"

She let out a long breath. "Yeah. I know it's crazy and I know Miranda would freak- she wants to nip this "mistake" in the bud, but I can't help but think about it, you know?"

Jenna's parents died when she was too young to have any real memories of them. Elena knew that being a mom was something Jenna wanted. She twisted her head so she could look Jenna in the eye. "I support whatever you decide, and if you do decide to tell me who the sperm donor is, I'll gladly chop off his balls and feed them to him."

A smile spread across Jenna's face. "Why do you think I'm _not_ telling you?"

Jenna finished up Elena's hair. She did an inverted fishtail braid and wrapped it around the crown of Elena's head, making sure curly tendrils fell elegantly in her face. "Shake your head," Jenna ordered. Elena shook her head and when nothing fell out, Jenna smiled. "You're good to go, now do that complicated thingy you showed me on the beach in Mauritius."

Elena positioned her forearms on the mat, kicked her feet in the air, bent her knees, pointed her toes, doing the forearm stand with eagle legs. "Holy hell," Jenna commented, taking a picture with Elena's phone.

Elena took a deep breath, trying to concentrate on the feel of her body and not Jenna's comments. When Jenna said she was done, Elena kicked her feet down and rolled up her mat. Jenna handed Elena her phone. "I don't know how you do that, Elena. I mean, damn."

She looked at the photo and groaned, tossing the phone back to Jenna. "I can't post it; you do it."

Jenna shrugged and started typing. "Own your hotness, Elena."

Elena shook her head, walked to her closet and pulled out a zip-up sweatshirt to wear to yoga.

"Has Stefan said anything about me?" Jenna asked, casually.

Elena moved to sit on the edge of her bed so she could tie her shoelaces. Stefan hadn't said anything about Jenna but then, Stefan hadn't said anything about anything. He didn't text her, their communication happened through Instagram's comments. He always said something really sweet or funny about her posts, hinting at their relationship. Tonight, they'd make it Instagram official when he took her out on an actual date. "He hasn't really talked to me about anything."

"Our marriage has been planned since we were kids, I just hope he isn't mad that I sorta ruined everything," she muttered.

"You didn't ruin everything," Elena replied. Jenna was obviously feeling guilty over Elena's current situation and she knew it wasn't her fault. This whole arrangement was some backwards bullshit and she wasn't about to let Jenna feel bad. "So I have to marry a smoody billionaire?" She said with an innocent shrug.

"Smoody?"  
"Sexy and moody. Smoody."

Jenna laughed. "Stefan is definitely smoody."

Elena pushed herself off the bed, slung her bag over her shoulder and picked up her yoga mat. "And I have a date with his smoody ass tonight. He's probably going to take me to the opera and a restaurant with more utensils than carbs."

Jenna held up her index finger in warning. "Don't forget my dating rule!"

"Don't go down on him until he goes down on you?"

"Solid advice, but no."

"Wear period underwear on the first date to prevent sexual escapades?"

"No!" Jenna burst out laughing. "Tequila and toast."

Elena leaned against the doorframe. "Ahhh…a shot of tequila to calm my nerves and a piece of toast so I'm not starving."

Jenna leaned back on Elena's bed and rubbed her very flat belly. "Take advice from someone who knows, Elena."

Jenna making fun of her predicament gave her hope. She'd been so morose lately, she was tempted to cancel her date with Stefan just so she could stay at home and binge-watch _Stranger Things_ with Jenna. "Still not going to tell me who the baby daddy is?"

Jenna tossed her her phone. "Nope! Have fun twisting your body in impossible positions for long periods of time- and I'm not talking about your date with Mr. Smoody."

Elena waved her goodbye, laughing. She ran downstairs to her Porsche Cayenne, except when she pressed the key to open the car, it didn't work. "Crap!"

With everything that's been going on, she forgot that the battery in her car remote was out. She went back into the house and dug through the cabinet with extra batteries, rubber bands, and nick-nacks. When she didn't find what she was looking for, she searched the cupboard and found a bag from Neiman Marcus that she'd never seen before. She reached for it, tugging it down from the high shelf, and gasped when she saw its contents. At least a hundred unopened bills were hidden in the bag.

Being the one that saved her family from financial ruin, Elena didn't feel guilty when she started opening bills. After fifteen minutes, she wished she hadn't. Her mother's spending was out of control and her father was just as bad. Taxes hadn't been paid but country club membership dues had. Her tuition for her next year at Archer hadn't been paid either, which made her wonder if she'd even be able to attend. Not to mention the amount of money he borrowed from friends. She wasn't sure if the money she received from Damon Salvatore would be enough to sustain them. She needed help.

At last, she found batteries for her remote, inserted it, and instead of going to yoga, headed for Salvatore Investments in downtown New Falls City. After battling traffic for an hour, she parked and slipped through security with the girl carrying paper bags full of what she assumed was lunch. She scanned the building directory until she found Damon's name and no surprise, he was on the top floor.

While standing in the elevator, Elena received some pretty rude stares from a couple of guys her age carrying several cups of coffee. Interns, she assumed. She moved to the corner of the car and tried to cover herself with her yoga bag until the elevator to reach the top level. Once she arrived, she walked past the receptionist's office and easily found Damon's office because the door happened to be open and he happens to be sitting behind his desk.

"Ms. Gilbert," he said in surprise. "Did you have an appointment?"

"I…" she hesitated. In her anger, she forgot that he's probably too busy for trivial things like her mother's spending habits. "I don't. I'm sorry, this was a mistake."

She spun around to leave. She heard a huff. "No, wait. I have time right now, just make it quick."

Elena sucked in a breath. She was not going to get angry. She needed his help or everything she did would've been for nothing. She spun back around. "Thank you, Mr. Salvatore, I'll try to make this quick."

She felt his gaze on her and suddenly remembered where she was heading before she found the letters. Shit, this was embarrassing. "Shut the door behind you," he ordered.

Elena wasn't sure if that was a good idea but decided to close the door anyway. She sat in a chair across his meticulously clean mahogany desk with a single laptop closed on top. "I need your help." The words felt bitter coming out of her mouth.

She felt his eyes on her, taking in her braided hair and yoga outfit. "You changed your hair."

"Oh, yeah," she self consciously touched the braid. "Jenna did it."

"No, the color," he commented. "The tips are no longer green. Why were they green? Why that color?"

She didn't know how to explain without sounding absurd, but when Damon Salvatore asks something, you answer. "I like Greek mythology."

He nodded, encouraging her to go on.

"Well, one of my favorite characters is Medusa. After Poseidon raped her in Athena's temple, Athena punished her by turning her hair into writhing snakes and gave her skin a greenish hue," she pointed to her hair awkwardly before placing her hands back in her lap. "Anyone who locked gaze with Medusa was turned to stone, and it just so happened the people she turned to stone were pretty shitty men."

Damon sat back and folded his arms. "She was once beautiful," he added. "Athena was jealous of her and of Poseidon's obsession with the mortal's beauty."

She was surprised Damon knew anything about Greek mythology. He always seemed like he was more of a Hemingway guy, and Elena thought Hemingway was a misogynistic asshole who killed wild animals for sport. This new development surprised her. "You don't by any chance read Ernest Hemingway, do you?"

Damon's brows knit in confusion. "You needed my help, Ms. Gilbert?"

Was Damon even going to help her? She regretted going directly to him, but if she went to anyone else, the information could get leaked to the press. As Elizabeth said over and over again, she was a reflection of Salvatore Investments, although, at the moment in her outfit ready for the gym, she felt stupid. She played with the zipper on her jacket.

"Elena," Damon said, the use of her first name woke her up.

She cleared her throat and sat up a little straighter. "I assume you know that I didn't keep the five-million you gave me for myself."

Damon Salvatore is perceptive and doesn't walk into anything without knowing everything. And by everything, he knew every little detail. "How did you know Jenna was pregnant?" Elena asked, she knew she was getting off-topic but she had to know.

"My assistant is currently on maternity leave," he commented. "I recognized the symptoms."

He wasn't fully telling the truth, but Elena appreciated it all the same. "My parents aren't good with money." She immediately felt guilty for bashing her parents behind their backs, but currently, she was angry with them.

"Why do you think Grayson's never been accepted as a member of the board?" Damon asked. "Being irresponsible with your own money says a lot about your character."

Elena nodded, feeling slightly better. "The money you gave me won't completely cover the debt. I'm not asking for money, but I thought if you knew of a financial advisor that could help us figure things out, it best to keep that person within the company."

Damon leaned forward and with his hands steepled beneath his chin, thought for a moment. When he was ready to speak again, he dropped his hands and stared at Elena with renewed interest. "What are you going to give me in return?"

Elena took in Damon's expensive suit and black silk tie. She remembered another lesson Damon had recently taught her. "What do you want?"

Never offer the price upfront- that's what he'd told her, wasn't it? Isn't this the same thing?

Damon smirked like it was the first time he'd had fun all day. She remembered what he'd said. Humoring her, he said, "As I said, my assistant is on maternity leave."

Elena interrupted. "You have an assistant."

Elizabeth had talked incessantly about how incompetent Damon's temporary assistant was.

"I want what I want, Elena and you're the one in need of my services," Damon replied. The negotiation had started, but even though he knew better, he set the price first.

"In exchange for a recommendation for a trustworthy financial advisor, I'll help you out twice a week," she offered.

Damon sat forward, his eyes set on the way Elena's chest rose and fell in that top with her sports bra peaking out. "Three days a week and I'll make sure your parents are paired with an advisor that is a close friend and will keep them on a budget."

Elena was about to speak, but he interrupted. "And I get to choose the days you work."

What could he possibly want with her as an assistant? Elena was confused and knew that the moment Stefan found out about this arrangement, he wouldn't be happy. She had more to lose. "Set up the meeting with the financial advisor- it'll mean more coming from you," she stated. "Twice a week I'll be your assistant and you can choose the days."

Damon smirked. "Done."

Damon took a pen out of his suit jacket and wrote down a name and number on a pad. He handed her the name. "Once a week, you'll give me updates. I'll personally set up a meeting with the man written on that piece of paper."

She took the name and put it in her pocket. Damon was too happy, a satisfied arrogance settled across his visage. "You'll start tomorrow. I'll text you with the details."

Even though he technically set the price, she felt duped, like she fell right into his trap. "Why would you want me as an assistant?"

Damon's gaze tracked the midriff of her top to her plump lips. "Entertainment."

"Great."

"Be here at 7:00, and I expect a hot Americano waiting for me," he ordered, standing up and buttoning his suit jacket. "I assume you know the way out since you were the one that snuck in past security. I'll let them know to expect you tomorrow."

Damon waited for Elena, who still sat completely shocked over the recent developments. He offered her his hand. "Roger Bennet's office is located a floor below this one. His name and number are written on that piece of paper. You'll have a meeting with him tomorrow morning, at 10:00. I'll make sure of it."

Elena was shocked, to say the least. "How?"  
Instead of waiting for her, Damon took her hand and gently pulled her from his chair to a standing position. "If you think for a second I didn't already know about your family's financial troubles and that you'd come to me for help, the rumors you've heard about me haven't done me justice."

Elena started to speak but he interrupted her again. "It was only a matter of time before I found you in my office."

Elena walked to her car in a haze. She went to the devil for help but ended up selling her soul- that's how it felt. She sat in her car and stared at the rows of cars in front of her. She was so dumb.


End file.
